Introduction

Just outside the city of Jerusalem, there was a hill known as ‘Calvary’ or ‘Golgotha.’ It was also called, ‘the place of the skull.’ Luke tells us, ‘And when they had come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and other on the left,’ Luke 23:33.

There were three crosses in a row. Naturally, we are usually concerned only with the one in the middle. In this lesson, we want to take a look at all three.

THE ONE ON THE RIGHT

Here we see the figure of a dying thief. Yet, more significant than his physical anguish is his scorn and hatred of Jesus who is also suffering agony.

What had Jesus done to so arouse him? This thief’s cross was a cross of rebellion. This cross depicts the enmity of many toward Jesus. It clearly typifies the unbelief of the world at large toward Jesus.

His statement points out several things.

1. He was in pain and agony, within the shadow of death, yet this did not humble him.

His sin did not even bother him in death. I have seen people like this.

2. He said, ‘If you are the Christ,’ Luke 23:39.

Has there ever been any ‘if’ about it? That little ‘if’ is a powerful word and has enough venom in it to destroy a soul.

Since the late eighteenth century certain Bible scholars have been denied the authenticity of the Bible. Modern liberal theology denies that Jesus is the Son of God. They look upon the Bible as mostly myth.

On the whole, it usually takes many years for myths to develop because at the time a myth would not be recognised as truth. Yet we learn from Acts 2 that within 50 days after the death of Jesus we have Peter affirming that Jesus arose from the grave. All his enemies had to do was produce a dead body to prove Peter was lying.

Just 27 years after Jesus’ resurrection Paul devotes an entire chapter to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. This doctrine was already formulated and widely believed in the Roman world. This stands in contrast to the hundreds of years it usually takes for a myth to be accepted.

A modern-day group of Bible scholars known as the ‘Jesus Seminar’ say that Jesus did not say 82% of what is attributed to Him in the New Testament.

Most of the remaining 18% are considered somewhat doubtful, and only 2% of Jesus’ sayings are considered to be authentic. This reminds us of Paul’s statement in 1 Timothy 3:7, ‘Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.’

For them, it remains as Paul says, ‘For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.’ 1 Corinthians 1:18.

3. He challenged Jesus to save both ‘yourself and us,’ Luke 23:39. What impudence!

What had he ever done that he could demand salvation? How much this reminds us of those today who live in sin all their lives then when faced with death they rail at God, accusing him of dealing harshly with them, demanding that He do something for them.

THEN THERE IS THE THIEF ON THE LEFT SIDE

Again, we have the figure of a dying thief. Yet, instead of one dying in his sin he was dying to sin, his was a cross of repentance. This victim also twists himself upon the nails to look at the centre cross, but not in scoff and unbelief, but in recognition of Him. He like the other thief would like to get his hands free, but not to smite but to deliver the sufferer from the middle cross.

From his statements we see unfailing evidence of genuine belief and repentance.

1. His reverence in the presence of Deity. ‘Do you not fear God?’ Luke 23:40.

2. His ready admission of his own guilt. ‘For we receive the due reward of our deeds,’ Luke 23:40.

3. His belief that Jesus was suffering wrongfully. ‘But this man has done nothing wrong,’ Luke 23:41.

4. His open confession of the Deity of Jesus. He calls him ‘Lord,’ Luke 23:42.

5. His humility. ‘Remember me when You come into Your kingdom,’ Luke 23:42.

What a difference between these two thieves. The first saw Jesus as only a man, but the second saw him as Lord. The first saw Jesus as a mock king, but the second saw Him as the ‘King of kings.’ The first saw Jesus as a sinner, but the second saw Him as a Saviour. There were no ‘ifs’ in his words.

The result was that Jesus answered him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise,’ Luke 23:43.

PARADISE IS HEAVEN

I think it would be useful to look at what the Bible says about heaven first. Genesis 1:1 ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’.

The Bible tells us there are three heavens. Speaking about himself, the apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:2 ‘I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago, was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.’

So, we have here three ‘heavens’.

1. The heaven which is God’s spiritual eternal home. This isn’t physical and isn’t created.

2. The heaven where the stars and planets are. This is physical and is created.

3. The heaven surrounding the earth where the atmosphere is, and the birds fly. This is physical and is created.

The word ‘heavens’ is used in different ways in the Bible.

1. It’s used of the two heavens that God created.

2. It’s also used of the third heaven. This is the uncreated heaven where God has always been from eternity.

The heaven where God has always lived isn’t physical, it hasn’t been created. ‘God is spirit’, John 4:24. He doesn’t need a physical place to live in. He doesn’t need pictures or images or temples or mosques or churches or shrines to live in, Acts 17:24-25.

Remember the rich man and Lazarus! Luke 16:19-22. Note the term, ‘Abraham’s side’, this is a Hebraism that the Jews understood to mean, ‘the paradise of God’.

So, clearly, once again the Bible teaches us that Lazarus was in ‘paradise’. It’s a figurative phrase that appears to have been drawn from a popular belief that the righteous would rest by Abraham’s side in the world to come, an opinion described in Jewish literature at the time of Christ.

The word ‘bosom’ or ‘side’ is ‘kolpos’ and literally refers to the side or lap of a person. Figuratively, as in this case, it refers to a place of honour reserved for a special guest, similar to its usage in John 13:23 ‘One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.’

In the case of Lazarus, the reserved place is special because it’s beside Abraham, the father of all the righteous. The phrase may be synonymous with the paradise promised to the thief on the cross, Luke 23:43. Together these passages support the conviction that a believer enjoys immediate bliss at the moment of physical death.

According to Revelation 2:7, the overcoming church will eat from the tree of life in the eschatological garden. Sin and death through redemption are now cast out of the human experience. The way is open for the faithful to return to the garden of God. Paradise is the Christian’s final home.

Look at what Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:1-4. Notice that Paul says he was caught up to the ‘third heaven’, whilst in the same setting says, caught up to ‘paradise’.

Surely, the phrases ‘caught up to the third heaven’ and ‘caught up to paradise’ mean the same thing! Surely, the ‘third heaven’ and ‘paradise’ are one in the same place!

The ‘third heaven’, or ‘paradise’ is God’s spiritual eternal home, which isn’t physical and isn’t created, this is the place where not only Paul found himself, but the place where Lazarus found himself when he died, the place where Jesus and the thief on the cross went to that day, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise,’ and the place where God was before the other heavens were created and where He resides now and forever and the Christians final home.

Paradise is a Persian word for ‘an area enclosed by a wall’ or ‘garden.’ Nehemiah 2:8 / Ecclesiastes 2:5 / Song of Solomon 14:13. The Greek word, ‘paradeisos’ is used for the garden in Eden in Genesis. Genesis 2:8-16 / Isaiah 51:3 / Ezekiel 28:13.

The intermediate state was transformed by Jesus’ emphasis on being with him ‘today,’ Luke 22:43. There’s no denying where Jesus was going, He was going to ‘paradise’. No longer is paradise just an anticipatory condition awaiting the messianic presence at the end of the age.

Those who die in faith will ‘be with Christ’, Philippians 1:23. And Jesus promised the thief that he would be with Him in paradise that day, not weeks, months or years from now but that day, ‘today, you will be with me’.

Now, we must be careful that we don’t make the same mistake that many have made about this thief, that his example means that today one can be saved without baptism.

We must remember that even as Jesus was dying on the cross this event transpired during the period of the Mosaical dispensation. The Christian age wouldn’t come into effect until 50 days later on the day of Pentecost.

But there may be more here than meets the eye. We’re somewhat amazed by his knowledge and faith. Could he have heard him preach on different occasions?

According to Matthew 3:5-6, as a result of John’s preaching, ‘Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.’ Could it be the thief was one of these?

John 3:26 says ‘all were coming to Jesus to be baptized.’ There were several occasions during his ministry where Jesus forgave sins. He had the authority to do this. While we admire the thief, we mustn’t use him as our example of what to do to be saved.

In Matthew 3:13-17 we have the example of the Saviour of mankind coming from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized. If Christ had to be baptized in order to remain in favour with His Father, can we remain in His favour and refuse to obey?

Obviously, baptism is important. At first, John refused but Jesus said, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness’. Matthew 3:15.

The Book of Acts gives us eight specific examples of conversions. In every example, the person or persons were baptised. There are no exceptions. It still amazes me the animosity that many in the religious world have against baptism.

At the very suggestion that baptism is for the remission of sins as stated in Acts 2:38 one will most often encounter hostility toward this simple command that is so important to our salvation.

This is sad yet probably sadder is the fact that out of the six billion people on this earth today probably nearly one half or more have never heard the name of Jesus. We have failed greatly in the great commission that was given to us by Jesus.

His final words before ascending to heaven were, ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ Matthew 28:19.